


Hilda and the Näcke

by suettle



Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Discussion of death and loss, Gen, Hildafolk, Spoilers, Trolberg, Who is Hilda's father?, Why did Hilda and her mum live in the wilderness?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28965675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suettle/pseuds/suettle
Summary: After moving to Trolberg, Hilda noticed many kids have two parents. She naturally wondered about her father but never pressed the subject. While Hilda and her friends plan a surprise birthday party for Johanna, Hilda discovers the unexpected answer to her question, and learns even more about her mum's secrets.
Relationships: Family Relationships, Friendship - Relationship, Johanna/original character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	Hilda and the Näcke

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS! The events in this short story take place after the graphic novel Hilda and the Mountain King/season 2 of the Hilda Netflix show. It contains spoilers. If you care about spoilers, don’t read this until you’re caught up with the graphic novels and show on Netflix.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: discussion of death and loss, children in mild peril.
> 
> Alfur reminded me to include the appropriate paperwork below. He is so handy that way, and he doesn't even have hands!  
> This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Hildafolk world, which is trademarked by Luke Pearson. Hilda, Johanna, Frida, Twig, Alfur, Matilda, and other characters appearing in the Hilda graphic novels, Netflix series, and tie-in novels are created and owned by Luke Pearson, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Hildafolk.   
> The story I tell here about Hilda is my own creation, and it is not purported or believed to be part of Luke Pearson's story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.  
> I am grateful to Mr. Pearson and his wonderful stories about Hilda and friends, for without his books, my story would not exist.

Hilda and the Näcke  
A Hildafolk fanfiction by suettle

Hilda, Frida, and David examine plants in a field near the city wall on a warm, sunny day. David plucks some leaves growing from a large cluster with small white flowers and hands them to Frida and Hilda. "I think this is wood wortel. That’s worth one point towards our botany badge.”

Hilda tucks her leaves away. “Good one.” An insistent beeping sound comes from Hilda’s satchel, growing louder and more shrill. Hilda rolls her eyes and pulls out a shiny new mobile phone. She types a quick text, explaining,, “Mum again. I’m still fine, like I was 15 minutes ago.” She sighs and shoves her phone back in her bag. “She is getting more and more concerned, not less. The Troll Mountain was months ago, and it’s been so quiet since then. How do you keep your parents from worrying too much?”

David replies, "My parents think I'd be too scared to get into any trouble." David reaches for a plant but Twig bars his way, growling. 

Frida exclaims, "David, that's stinging nettle! Don't touch it barehanded!"

David looks sheepish. "Thanks Twig." Twig sits proudly with his tail wrapped around his hooves before getting distracted by a butterfly and bounding away after it.

Frida says, "Mine believe in teaching responsibility so I'll make good choices or handle the consequences of poor decision making. Which I always do.” David and Hilda look at her with raised eyebrows. 

“Well, I usually do," Frida amends. 'Also they try to keep me ‘too busy to get in trouble.’ I had to tell them my lessons with Matilda are to learn piano so they would let me keep going. So now I’m having to learn to play piano on top of everything else!" 

David adds, "My parents are busy with work or soccer or projects when I'm out playing. They go out together a lot on boring dates to eat disgusting food for their cooking blog." 

Frida chimes in again, "My mum takes care of my gran when she's not working and they play cards with their friends. Dad works a lot and is writing a history of Trolberg’s sanitation system. As long as I keep my grades up, don’t hang around the house too much, and keep earning Sparrow Scout badges they don't pay too much attention to what I'm up to."

Hilda frowns. "All my mum does us work and mind me." She rummages around in a large tuft of grass.

Frida reasonably suggests, “You did BOTH almost get killed by trolls. You can’t blame her for worrying. But maybe she needs a hobby or something.”

David suggests, "Or to go on a date. My mum says when Aunt Carol gets a new girlfriend, that's all she thinks about and we don't see her for months so-"

Frida interrupts, "-until they break up and she's weeping in your spare room." 

"That's only for a day or two and she brings lots of sweets and ice cream, so it’s worth the weeping. Speaking of sweets, here's a sweetmint plant." 

They each pick a few leaves to chew and press some in their Sparrow Scout Guidebooks. 

Hilda sounds interested in David’s idea. "My mum never goes out with anyone except me. Maybe we can find her a date. Though I don’t want her to end up weeping in her room." 

Frida bites her lip, then hesitantly inquires, "Hilda, what happened to your dad? But it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"It's okay, it’s always been just me and mum. I never even thought about it until we moved to Trolberg and learned some families have two parents. I asked her one time and she just got kind of sad and said 'It's always been just you and me. Hilda.' She looked about to cry so we just played Dragon Panic! all day after that. Hey, red clover!" The trio gathers samples of the fluffy blossoms.

Frida checks her book and exclaims "That's everything we needed! With our blue nettle from the Lost Clan's territory we can finally earn our botany badge with wings! It's getting late, come over tomorrow morning and we'll finish the project report. We can turn it in to Raven Leader in time for the next badge ceremony."

Hilda's phone rings. "I have to go home now anyway. I'll see you tomorrow.” She answers the phone as she and Twig take off for home. 

*****

Hilda and Johanna are finishing up a game of Dragon Panic! The remains of dinner are still on the table. Tontu lounges on the sofa nearby, reading a book.

Hilda rolls the dice, moves a token, and exclaims, “That’s it! I win!”

Johanna smiles. “Congratulations. Come help me clean up in the kitchen.”

Hilda stands on a stool, drying dishes as Johanna washes. “Mum, can you tell me about my dad?”

“Oh, Hilda. I will one day, but not now. Let’s leave the past in the past for today, and focus on our life here in Trolberg.” Johanna swipes some soap bubbles onto Hilda’s nose. “How are you getting on at school?”

Hilda sighs, puffing out her cheeks and launching a flurry of tiny bubbles from her nose into the air. “Fine, Mum. And I’m finally getting a Sparrow Scout badge.”

“Hilda, that’s fantastic! Tell me all about it.”

Later that night Hilda is sitting at her desk drawing a picture of Peppercorn and Alfur. Alfur is stretched out on her desk writing a letter with tiny hearts on it. Peppercorn, his pet nitten, is batting around a tiny speck of lint. Twig dozes on Hilda’s bed.

"Alfur, what do you know about dating?"

Two slots of pink appear on Alfur's cheeks and he hastily shoves the letter into his bag. 

"Not very much, I'm afraid. We elves only officially begin a courtship after both parties have signed the appropriate paperwork certifying mutual interest and attraction. I've never, ah, dated. In fact it's a human ritual I'm most curious about."

Hilda giggles "I bet you are! Adeline seems very nice."

Alfur blushes darker pink. "Ahem. Yes, she is very good at paperwork."

Hilda smiles, "And brave. Mum needs to date someone like that or at least make a friend. I have no idea what happened with her and my dad, or if she ever even had friends. She must have at school, right? Her only interests now are me and work. Maybe a new hobby would be a good way to meet people."

Tontu appears from under Hilda's bed. "Don't get her too busy to make us pies!"

"Don't worry Tontu, I bet she'll bake even more delicious food if she had a date or friends coming over."

Tontu huffs "I sure hope so," and disappears again.

Alfur taps his pencil against his cheek, thinking and petting Peppercorn, who rubs against his knee. He glances at Hilda, who is focused on her drawing again, and adds a hasty postscript to his letter before sealing it and addressing it to Adeline.

*****

A few days later the Sparrow Scouts are assembled on stage in the meeting hall. Raven Leader awards Frida three badges, the other scouts one or two badges, and Hilda her first badge. She proudly pins the botany badge with wings to her sash. Hilda smiles at her mum applauding proudly in the audience, but notices she’s sitting on her own towards the back, with empty seats to either side. At the reception afterwards Hilda whispers to Alfur, who jots down names and notes on possible friends or dates for her Mum. 

During the drive home, Hilda asks "Mum, what were your favorite badges to earn when you were a Sparrow Scout?"

Johanna replies thoughtfully, "Oh I don't know, I had such fun collecting them all with my friends. Maybe astronomy? We got that one by watching a lunar eclipse one summer at Granddad's cabin. We drew all the moon phases and painted a mural on the back of the Sparrow Scout hall. It’s been painted over, of course."

"Who were your friends?"

"All the Sparrow Scouts were friends, most of the time. Arnar, Erla, and I played together the most, and they got the astronomy badge with me. Gosh, I haven’t said those names in a long time."

"How come you aren't friends any more?"

"After I went to live in the wilderness with Granddad, we just...lost touch. Then you were born and I didn't have much time for the long drive to Trolberg."

"Well it's not a long drive now. Maybe you should invite them over."

"Maybe…." Johanna grips the steering wheel tightly and hunches over. "I'll think about it."

Hilda slouches down in her seat and whispers to Alfur, "That's her way of saying no."

*****

After school the next day, Hilda, David, and Frida are walking home together discussing the merits of different friend or date prospects for Johanna. 

Hilda suggests, “What about Nils from the hardware store? They worked together for a while and he was very helpful when I needed to replace some camping gear that got lost when we all ran away from Jellybean. Tontu said there’s still no sign of them in Nowhere Space.”

David brings up his favorite choice again. “Tom the baker is very nice. He always gives me a free treat when we buy anything. Your mum likes baking and just think of all the biscuits!” His fingers curl and he presses his hands together in front of his chest, happily imagining stacks of fresh-baked treats.

“That’s not very practical, David. Tom the baker is married and has four children. He doesn’t have time for hanging out with Hilda’s mum. I heard Bahija’s mum saying she needs to get out more.” 

Hilda stops both her friends. “I have the best idea! Mum's birthday is in two weeks. I told her I want to bake a cake for her, so we can throw her a surprise party and invite them all!"

"I don't like surprise parties," says David. “Everyone shouts and it's quite startling.”

"How else are we going to get Mum to meet anyone?" Hilda argues, "We've lived here a year and if you ask me, she isn't adapting very well."

"All right," agreed Frida. "But we'll only invite a few people we think she'll like. I already asked Raven Leader if she knew about your Mum's old friends from her flock and two of them still live in Trolberg."

"Is it common for human children to choose companions for their parents?" Alfur inquires. "With elves it's usually quite the opposite."

"Humans, too. Hilda and her mum are uncommon in lots of ways," Frida remarks. David nods in agreement.

"Okay, that’s settled.” Hilda says decisively, ignoring the comment. “If we make invitations now, we can deliver them before dinner." 

Frida shakes her head. “I can’t tonight. I have to study for magic and practice piano. I can tomorrow before my lesson, though.”

Hilda’s phone starts beeping. She glances at it, sighs, and types a quick text. “I have to go straight home anyway. Mum wants me to go for a walk with her before dinner.”

*****

The next afternoon, all three friends bike to the first address Frida found for Johanna’s old friends. Twig runs along and hops up on the package carrier over the rear fender of Hilda’s bike if he gets tired while Alfur clings to Hilda’s scarf. Arnur isn’t home so they drop the invitation in the mailbox. At the second address a smiling, slightly plump woman Johanna's age opens the door. 

"We’re here to speak to Erla," Frida states officiously.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

Hilda steps forward, "Do you remember Johanna from Sparrow Scouts? She's moved back to Trolberg and we want to invite you to her surprise birthday party."

Erla's mouth drops open and she puts a hand out as if to block Hilda from entering. "I'm afraid we haven't spoken in a very long time. It would be quite a shock for her. I'm sorry children." Erla hastily shuts the door, but as the trio walks down the path Hilda looks back and sees the curtain dropping into place. 

Hilda comments, "That was weird. You think she'd be happy to see an old friend.”

Alfur suggests, “Perhaps they didn’t part on the best of terms?”

David shrugs and observes, "Grown ups are even weirder than teenagers sometimes."

Frida, "Ooh, this is just like what happened on 'Secrets'! I bet Erla and your mum have a tragic past full of secrets." She dramatically whispers the last word.

David looks annoyed with Frida at the reminder when she ditched him and Hilda last year. "Real life isn't like those dumb soap operas you and that awful teenager used to watch."

"Right," Hilda agrees, standing straight and looking into the distance heroically. "Real life has much more adventure!"

Frida suggests, "Let's ask Matilda. We can go there now, she won’t mind if we’re early. Today we're studying finding lost things." She splits off from David and Hilda.

David grumbles, "That would have been useful when you lost your old book and we had to wrestle a ghost." 

Hilda giggles, “But it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.”

*****

The three friends sit on Matilda’s sofa eating cookies and sipping tea. Hilda is in the middle; Alfur is in his usual perch on Hilda’s shoulder. Matilda sits in her cushy armchair, stroking her fluffy familiar, which soon frisks off to play with Twig.

Frida respectfully asks, "Matilda, we're trying to help Hilda's mum reconnect with old friends. It's her birthday soon. Can you tell us about why she doesn’t talk with Arnur or Erla anymore?"

Matilda replies simply , "Sometimes old connections are best left severed." 

Hilda wheedles "Please? She seems so bored and unhappy some days."

Frida points out, "Plus, didn't we just study last month about healing old wounds so they don't fester? A secret can be like an old wound."

David and Hilda stare at Frida in astonishment, Hilda’s hands frozen with cup in midair and David with a mouth full of biscuit, then look to Matilda to see if Frida’s argument will work.

Matilda stares hard at Hilda’s shoulder. "I’ll tell you what I know if you introduce me to your secret friend. No one enters the house of a witch undetected for long. Frida, you should know that by now.”

Frida squeaks and introduces Alfur. “We didn’t mean to keep him a secret, there’s just so much paperwork for you to see him.”

Matilda hmphs. “Eyes aren’t the only way to see.” She gets out an old photo album. “When I was a young woman the town was smaller than it is today. Everybody knew everybody, at least to say hello. Johanna was good friends with my niece, Erla. Hilda, you probably know most of this story, do you want to tell it?" 

Hilda clears her throat, "I would but I...I'd like to hear your perspective." She smiles. 

Matilda nods and continues, "Johanna's parents were fisherfolk. The herring run was crucial to keeping a family business afloat in those days. Everyone told them working the fishing boat together was too dangerous, but there weren't enough people who wanted to work on the boats that year so they decided to take their chances together.” She pauses and looks at each of the children in turn. “The sea is unpredictable. Neither they or their two crewmembers were ever seen again." 

Matilda shows them a newspaper clipping in her album. The headline asks "WATER SPIRITS CAUSE FREAK STORM?" 

The children listen raptly. Hilda is holding Frida and David's hands. Her eyes glisten. 

"Johanna stayed with Erla's family to finish high school after her parents were lost at sea." 

Matilda turns the pages, showing a high school graduation class photo, and then postcards from Erla and Johanna. 

"After high school Erla and Johanna travelled and studied abroad together for a little while, but Johanna got homesick and as I recall and came back early to live with her granddad in the wilderness. She took care of him for years. Then she was all alone.”  
Hilda’s breath hitches as she fights back tears. “Poor mum.”

“Erla and Johanna had some kind of fight, but Erla never told me what it was about, and I wouldn't break a confidence even if I knew. Then you came along, Hilda.” Matilda smiles kindly at Hilda and takes something out of front of the album. 

“I hope Erla and Johanna can heal their friendship. They were inseparable for years." She hands Hilda a picture of the two girls in their Sparrow Scout uniforms, arms around each other’s shoulders, making silly faces. “You can keep this picture, Hilda.”

Hilda dries her eyes on her sleeve, sniffing. "Thank you for telling me. I never knew...it was quite like that," she quickly adds. Matilda looks at Hilda consideringly and opens her mouth to speak again.

Hilda jumps off the sofa. "David and I better go have a good lesson Frida come on Twig!" David looks longingly at the remaining biscuits on the coffee table. Frida’s brows knit together as she watches Hilda drag David out of the lounge. David manages to grab a couple of biscuits on the way out as Alfur shouts, “It was nice to meet you!”

Outside, David asks Hilda "Are you alright?"

Hilda takes a shaky breath. She sits on the curb down the block from Matilda's house, near a storm drain, and replies "Yes, I think so. I mean I will be." 

Alfur pats her cheek reassuringly. “That was very shocking news.”

David gives Hilda one of the biscuits and they munch pensively, breaking off a crumb for Alfur and a piece for Twig, who turns up his nose at it. "Did you read that headline?” he asks. “I never heard of Näcke making a storm like that."

Hilda replies, "Remember that huge storm the arguing weather spirits made? I don't know about Näcke, but some spirits can cause a lot of trouble. I've got to get to the bottom of this mystery! Why is mum keeping so many secrets from me?" 

Hilda’s phone beeps. “I want to throw this thing down the drain! I’ll see you tomorrow, David.”  
They start to head off in different directions, but David yells, “Wait!” and gives Hilda a quick hug before leaving.

Hilda walks past Erla’s house on her way home. She pulls out the undelivered invitation, nods decisively, and opens it to add the old photo of Johanna and Erla. She swiftly places the yellow envelope in the mailbox and walks away sadly. Then squaring her shoulders and giving her head a little shake, she shouts, “Come on, Twig, bet you can’t catch me!” and dashes away.

*****

The next few days after school, Hilda and David deliver invitations to Nils at the hardware store, Bhahija’s mum, Kaisa the librarian and Keeper of Books, Peter, and finally Tom the baker. At the bakery David pops in to buy a big loaf of bread and receives two free cookies, which he shares with Hilda and Alfur again and which Twig declines again. David offers Twig a dog biscuit from his pocket, which he happily accepts and crunches up immediately. Hilda looks at him questioningly since he doesn’t have a dog. David explains, “There’s a jar inside on the counter and you can take one for your pet. I told you Tom is nice.”

Sitting on a bench at a small park, Hilda checks the last one off the list of prospects Frida and Alfur prepared and says, "It took all week, but there, that's invitations delivered to all the best candidates for friendship or romance based on Frida’s formula of shared interests, free time, proximity, and age. But no one knew Mum and Erla when they were younger. We’re never going to find out what they fought about, or how to mend their quarrel. I wonder if Frida’s discovered anything else. She’s been having so many lessons with Matilda this week.”

“I think finding things would be easier than hiding them, and that only took her two weeks to learn,” David observes. 

Hilda replies sulkily, eyes sidecast, “I don’t know, it’s awfully hard to find out about Mum’s secrets.”

Alfur pipes up, "There might be another way. I submitted a public records request from the Elf county archives of all the Big Boots Committee observations involving your mother. I received a sizable package this morning. We could read it now. It’s in your satchel.” 

“Alfur, why didn’t you tell me this morning?” Hilda wonders.

Alfur crosses his arms and looks smug, “I knew you would want to read it immediately and wouldn’t pay attention in school.”

“Ha, you’re right! Let’s go!” The sky is darkening and rain begins to splatter as they race to meet Frida back at David's house.

*****

Alfur is seated in the middle of David’s room atop a coffee can at a makeshift desk built from blocks. Hilda, Frida, and David sit close by. The room is rather untidy around the edges. Alfur flips through the thick stack of papers on the “desk” before him. 

"These seem to be fairly standard logs, comings and goings for Human 1, that must be Hilda’s mum, weather descriptions, Human 2, that might be Erla, hmm. A Näcke in human form moved into the cabin but nothing much about that in the report, just lots of entries about noisy laughing and music. Oh, it gets interesting here! 

“Just after half moonrise on a cloudy night, Human 2, (probably Erla) stealthily peered in the big boots house (that's your old cabin, Hilda) seeming to watch Human 1 (your mum) while attempting to avoid detection. The Näcke must have seen her. It came roaring out of the house like a spring flood, followed by Johanna holding a piece of firewood threateningly.

“Human 2 said ‘Jojo, I can't believe you're with one of that kind after what happened to your parents!’ 

“The Näcke turned to Johanna, trembling like a wind-riffled pond, shimmering in a beam of moonlight that broke through the gloom, and mournfully asked, ‘You betrayed our secret?’ 

“Johanna screeched, ‘No, of course not!’” 

Alfur's voice grew more excited, "Ooh look, there's an artist's rendering!" 

The children use a magnifying glass to see the details of the watery Näcke in human form, cloaked in flowing, glistening robes that look like seaweed or rushes, towering above the two women as Johanna screams, "Nooo! I love you!"

Alfur continues, “The Näcke intoned, ‘You promised to keep our secret as long as I lived with you in human form. The bond is broken.’ 

“Then the Näcke then burst apart, showering the humans with water, but quickly coalesced and swelled into a torrent, crashing back towards the hills, tossing stones and brush in its wake, causing the following damages: 

"Oh dear, there's a rather lengthy account of damages." Alfur flips past many pages, muttering, "I never knew that flood was caused by a Näcke! I was away in another county studying. My goodness." He stops towards the end of the stack of pages, "Ah, here we are. There's another drawing, too.” The second drawing shows two human women shouting, with a frothing wave in the distance. 

“Johanna whirled to face Human 2, eyes flashing, shouting ‘I trusted you, Erla, and now you've ruined everything! I hate you!’

“Erla shouted back, ‘You should know better than to trust a Näcke! They can't really feel love! All they know is how to destroy!’ She gestured around at the torn up ground.

‘Erla ran to her car and roared away, spraying gravel which caused the following damages…" Alfur flips last several more pages "...and Johanna collapsed on the muddy ground, sobbing 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' After that, let’s see, Johanna never had any visitors, hiked in the mountains frequently, but seemed to be getting bigger despite all her exercise. She only went to town once a month for supplies and there are no noise complaints. Seems she was gone for a week once and came back with...a baby, oh that's you, Hilda! Then the reports are pretty sparse...mainly concerned with noise and light levels and worries about having another big boots around, especially one that might be half Näcke. The observation committee decided on a policy of wary watchfulness until Hilda started attracting trolls and giants. You know what happened next," Alfur concludes, pulling at his collar and frowning uncomfortably. "The rest of the file is even less complimentary to humans, until you rescue the king from an avalanche, of course, which has gone down in history as a major turning point in local elf-human diplomacy. There's even an exhibit at the museum. Hilda?"

Hilda is stunned by the news that her other parent is a water spirit. "I can't believe mum never told me something so important." Twig whines and lays his head in Hilda's lap.

Frida says "It does make sense. And it explains your blue hair."

Hilda touches her hair. "Lots of people have colorful hair. Look at Kaisa."

"She dyes it. It's not naturally black with purple ends!"

David, crunching Jorts, offers "And it explains your recklessness. What?" he asks as Frida elbows him. "No wonder you're so brave, you probably can't get hurt as easily as full humans. It's just a basic mythological fact," he adds pedantically.

"How can half of me come from someone or something that can kill people with storms and floods! I need to know where I come from, what I am! I've got to find the Näcke." Hilda shoulders her satchel with a look of determination.

Frida and David exchange a look, and Frida gestures at the rain driving against the window, illuminated by a sudden burst of lightning. 

"You'd be a fool to go out in this," David cautions grimly.

Hilda raises her voice to be heard over the peal of thunder. "Well, I am reckless aren't I? Who knows what a half human-half Näcke is capable of!" Hilda races out of the room with Twig on her heels. Another bolt of lightning flashes, the sky lights up an eerie green, and a loud WHO-O-OMP reverberates in the air. The lights flicker off and David shrieks. 

"Don't worry, David." A low chanting fills the room and a soft purple glow grows between Frida's outstretched hands, illuminating David and Alfur huddling under a blanket. 

"David, get your flashlight! A Sparrow Scout is always prepared. We've got to tell our parents so we can find Hilda."

David's dad bursts in the room, holding a flashlight and a bag marked TROLL ATTACK KIT, with the words TROLL ATTACK crossed out in black marker and EMERGENCY written in above.

"I brought glowsticks! Oh good you already found one, wait, Frida, what kind of light is that-"

Frida's purple glow instantly vanishes and she holds up a pen. "Just my light up pen, but the battery is out. You got here just in time."

"Dad, Hilda is upset about something and ran out into the storm! You have to help us find her!" David starts pulling his dad into the hallway.

"Oh, I thought I heard a door slam, but then the storm knocked out a transformer. Let's get your mother and we'll call Hilda's mom. Frida, here, you can use my phone to call your parents." He hands her a mobile phone and they all walk into the living room.

David's mom says, "The storm knocked out the phone lines. I can't make a call on the old phone." She places a rotary phone receiver back in the cradle. 

"I can't get through to my parents!" Frida wails. She hands the phone to David's dad who also fruitlessly attempts to place a call. 

He says, "Phone towers must be down, too. This storm just blew up out of nowhere!"

David mutters "I hope Victoria Van Gale isn't at it again. Someone needs to keep an eye on her."

"Right." David's mom says firmly. "Kids, wrap up and we'll take Frida home then go tell Johanna that Hilda is out alone. Hopefully we'll find her walking home and can give her a ride."

The fierce winds seem to blow from every direction, soaking them just while getting in the car. They see no sign of Hilda.

*****

Hilda is fighting the wind to walk her bike towards the city wall. Twig whines and grabs her coat in his teeth, and tries to gently pull her down the dark street towards home.

"You go home if you want to, Twig. I have to find out the truth somehow."

A huge gust of wind and rain slaps Hilda, weakening her grip on the bicycle. It slips down just as she steps in a puddle that's deeper than it looked. She trips on the bike and falls on her hands and knees in the cold water, tearing her leggings and getting scraped up. 

She starts to cry angrily as she stands. Fists balled at her sides she shouts up at the sky, "What kind of half water spirit can't even walk in the rain!?" Limping, she resumes her trek until she spots a glow of candlelight in the library windows. She parks her bike in the rack and goes in to warm up.

*****

Frida's parents join the search for Hilda. David and his parents get to Hilda’s apartment first. They go up to talk to Johanna. David's parents tell Johanna that Hilda left just as the storm was hitting, and that they didn't see her on the road towards her home. 

Looking down at his feet, David quietly says, "I don't think Hilda was going home. I think she's trying to get back to the wilderness."

David’s father exclaims, "What! Why in the world would she go out in this weather!?"

Johanna kindly asks, "David, will you please explain to me why Hilda might be trying to leave the city?"

"Well, you see, we were doing some...research. About families. She really wants to go back to your old house."

Frida bursts in without knocking, Alfur on her shoulder. "We saw her bike at the library but she wasn't there! Kaisa said she read a little about Näcke, but only stayed for a few minutes."

Johanna's face turns quite white. "Oh my. I see." She puts her face in her hands briefly, then takes a deep breath. "Well thank you both for telling me, let's get out there and find her."

Johanna gets out a map of the city. "We'll have to split up and search."

Alfur pokes Frida and whispers "Can you use magic to help? Like finding lost things?"

Frida whispers back, "Not without my parents seeing!"

David just stares at her terrified expression, then crossing his arms and tipping his head back, says "Hilda would do it for you."

"I know! All right, there is a locator spell, the one I’ve been working on for weeks. We can try it if we have something of Hilda's." She glances at the adults, who are filling thermoses with hot tea and pointing at the map. 

Tontu pops out from under the cabinet and holds out a sock. "Here, she wore this yesterday. Good luck!"

Frida grimaces at the sock and mutters, “It didn’t have to be something quite so smelly.” At another look from David, she announces, "Excuse me everyone, I might have a better way to find Hilda. But you have to promise not to freak out."

The parents all shrug and agree. Frida's mum eyes her suspiciously but doesn't say anything.

Frida lays the sock on the map. She touches it and asks Johanna to touch it, too. Frida closes her eyes and starts chanting. A soft gold halo surrounds her. Her parents start to interrupt, but David and his parents silently stop them. David tries to reassure Frida’s parents with an OK sign.

Frida finishes with a flourish and the sock bursts into flame and everyone except Friday jumps back. Only the sock incinerates, and with a flash of gold sparkles, leaves nothing behind except a smudge of soot on the map. Frida looks disappointed, but then Johanna exclaims, "The spot is moving!"

Frida perks up. "That's Hilda. You can use the map to find her now. I think I need to talk to my folks." They look like they can't decide whether to be mad or awed.

David's dad says to Johanna, "We'll follow you just to make sure you find her."

Frida’s dad says, “We’ll wait here in case she comes home.”

Frida’s mum adds, looking sternly at Frida, “Yes, and we do have some things to discuss.”

*****

Hilda is huddled under the wall next to the train tracks, head buried in arms wrapped tight around her knees. Twig is pressed close trying to stay warm, but both are a cold, shivering, sodden mess. Twig’s fur and Hilda’s hair are slicked down. Twig tries to shake off the water and scoots closer to Hilda, whining softly and nuzzling her hair. He perks up as Johanna, wearing a hooded yellow rain slicker, haphazardly slides down the gravel embankment towards them, a plaid blanket tucked under one arm.

"Hilda! How could you run away after what happened in the mountain!"

Hilda slowly lifts her head. Her teeth are chattering, but she defiantly asks "How can you still be keeping secrets after what happened in the mountain? I found out about your Näcke!”

Johanna’s temper flares, “You shouldn’t have gone poking around in my life and my past!”

“It’s my past, too, even if I wasn’t born yet! You need to stop keeping secrets from me and get a life of your own, Mum! Stop trying to control mine!"

“I need to be more involved if this is the kind of choice you make! It’s dangerous to be out in a lightning storm like this, no matter how upset you are! You’re endangering not only yourself, but Twig and your friends, too.”

Hilda looks down and meets Twigs eyes. He looks much smaller with his fur soaked and matted down from the rain. He lays his muzzle on her arm and gives her an encouraging “whuff.”

Hilda takes a deep, shivery breath that’s half a sob. “I am upset. I have a right to know about our family. And I wasn’t snooping, well, not at first. I just wanted to help you find a friend so you wouldn't be alone all the time.” 

Johanna asks a little sharply, "Do you think I like being alone all the time?"

Hilda barks out, "I think you LIKE spending ALL your time alone or with me."

Johanna takes a deep breath, exhales, and her expression softens. "Hilda, I love you and do like spending time with you. You're such an interesting person. I didn't want you to find out the truth from anyone else, but I should have realized it’s hard to keep secrets in a small town. David and Frida told me you'd learned about your other parent." Johanna crouches down next to Hilda and starts to softly stroke her dripping hair, but Hilda jerks her head away, shivering. Johanna wraps the plaid blanket around Hilda and Twig.

"I planned to tell you last year, Hilda, but with what happened to the cabin, and having to move, and your whole world turning upside-down I just didn't want to add any more change for you to cope with."

"You still should have told me, mum,” Hilda insists. “We could have at least tried to find your Näcke!"

"Oh Hilda, I did try. Before and even after you were born I visited every stream, every pool, and every waterfall around the cabin I could get to. I wanted to make things right, or at least apologize and give you a chance to meet. But I never had any luck. I'm sorry." 

Johanna pulls a flat oval locket out from under her sweater and takes it off. She opens the once intricately engraved silver front, now worn down by years of wear, and shows Hilda the pictures inside, Johanna on the left, baby Hilda on the right, and a small, flat, blue-gray pebble in between. "I picked up this pebble the day I met Froth, my Näcke, at the waterfall by the cabin. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. If you like, we can go camping and look again this summer." She holds the locket out to Hilda. Hilda carefully takes it and inspects the pebble and small portraits. 

After a moment Hilda grudgingly agrees, "Maybe. Plus it would be nice to visit the elves. And Wood Man."

"Yes, and I'd like to clean up the cabin wreckage a little more."

“The woffs will be migrating.”

Johanna muses, “The woffs are always migrating. I wonder if it’s the same ones or different woffs. But how about now we get you and Twig home and warmed up?" 

Hilda nods and launches herself at Johanna, wrapping her arms around her neck and burying her face in her mum’s shoulder. Johanna holds her tight as Hilda sobs, then picks up the blanket bundle of Hilda and carries her up to the car. She stuffs Hilda into the seat. Twig jumps in and curls up under the heating vent. Johanna waves at David's parents, who beep their horn once and slowly pull away after Johanna gets in the car.

"Mum, now that I know your secret, will you please start talking to people again? You need to adapt to living in Trolberg, too, you know."

Johanna heaved a big sigh. "Yes, I suppose I've nothing to hide now."

"I'm glad to hear you say that." 

****

Later that evening, Hilda and Twig are clean, dry, and bundled up on the couch with hot water bottles. Tontu is sitting nearby and Alfur is in a small chair on the end table. Johanna brings mugs of cocoa for herself, Hilda, and Tontu, a teensy mug for Alfur, and a bowl of warm milk for Twig. She sits down in the chair.

"Thanks, Mum. I'm finally starting to warm up."

"Good." Johanna holds her mug in both hands, contemplating the marshmallows.

"I'll go get my bike tomorrow." 

Johanna looks up at Hilda, her face is soft and full of love. "Frida's dad said he would bring it by tomorrow. Hilda, we need to talk. I love your sense of adventure and I'm not trying to take that away. I'll work on making friends, but I can only give you more freedom and trust if you earn it. 

“I need to know you're not stuck in a troll mountain or running away when we have a disagreement. Part of my job as your Mum is to teach you to judge when something is too dangerous. I guess we didn't really talk about that after the mountain and trolls, I was just so relieved to be home safe. What made you feel like you had to run away?"

"I don't know." Twig nudges Hilda with his nose. "I was mad, I guess."

"Thank you for telling me. I know you've already learned a lot, but would you like to hear about when I met my Näcke?"

Hilda looks up, eyes shining. "Oh, yes!" 

Johanna starts to tell the story, "I cared for my granddad for many years. After he died, I was alone, and sad, and used to wander all over the wilderness around the cabin…." 

Hilda comes and snuggles in her mum's lap. Afterwards, Johanna tucks Hilda into bed and washes the dishes. After she pulls the sink plug, she watches the water and frothy soap bubbles swirling down the drain for quite a while.

*****

Frida and David sit on swings at the playground listening intently as Hilda is animatedly twirling around and talking. Hilda's satchel leans against the swingset and Alfur is perched comfortably in a fold of the leather. 

"Mum wasn't even looking for a Näcke! She threw a bit of cucumber sandwich to a duck and it arose from a misty pool beneath a waterfall. Ohmygosh I saw a water spirit there once, that might have been Froth! Mum said Näcke don't have human names, its name sounded like a splashing brook so she always called it Froth…she visited every day for weeks with cucumber sandwiches and she camped there and Froth made her ice sculptures and they swam and played water games and they fell in love. When winter was nearing, Froth agreed to take on a sort of human form and live with Mum in the cabin as long as she promised to keep it a secret."

Hilda finally pauses for breath and Frida asks, "When did your mum tell Erla?"

David suggests, "I bet right away. I'd have trouble keeping a secret that big."

"She didn't! They wrote letters and would meet for lunch sometimes when Mum would go to Trolberg for supplies, but Mum NEVER told Erla about Froth. 

“She did think Erla suspected something, though, because she kept asking why Mum was so much happier than she used to be."

Frida speculates, "So Erla got curious and went up to the cabin to spy on them."

"It seems that way," Hilda continues. "The rest of the story is just like the elves' report."

"Of course it is!" Alfur sounds almost indignant. "Elves are known for our accurate reporting. That's why I was so offended when a committee was sent to replace me. Doubting the veracity of a signed report is one of the worst insults you can give an elf."

"Sorry Alfur, I just meant Mum didn't have any more, ah, details to add. I have to hand it to you, elf reports are thorough.”

“AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE HANDS!” David, Frida, and Hilda chorus in unison. Alfur holds up his arms and they all laugh.

Hilda concludes, “She searched for months but never found Froth again. We're going to look again during summer break."

Frida sighs contentedly, leaning against a swing chain with one hand pressed against her brow. "How romantic and dramatic. How are you, Hilda?"

"It was weird at first, but I'm still me, no matter who my parents are. And Mum and I had a talk and she's going to stop texting me all the time as long as I'm honest with her. I just wish I had cool water control powers!" She wiggles her fingers at the sky.

"I think you're more, like, the spirit of water," David offers. He affects a wise sounding voice, "You are always moving and changing things. A catalyst that itself remains unchanged." 

Frida raises her eyebrows, "That's...very perceptive, David." She looks at him with respect. 

"I heard it on my favorite show, The Elementals." He shrugs. "Jorts anyone?" He pulls out a bag and offers it around.

Hilda accepts a handful of crisps. "What about you, Frida? How did your parents take the news that their daughter is a witch?"

"Not well at first. They had a big meeting with Matilda and Kaisa and wanted to complain to the Committee of Three!"

David asks, "Who won that argument? It would take more than three witches to change your mum's mind!"

Smiling, Frida relates, "She withdrew her complaint!"

David stops munching and whispers, "Unheard of.” In his astonishment, Jorts crumbs fall on his jumper.

"Once Matilda mentioned that I was rising through the apprentice levels faster than any apprentice she'd ever had, Mum got really interested in what a career in witchcraft offers. But, Matilda even warned Mum and Dad not to make me work too hard." Frida picks up a stick and jumps up on another piece of playground equipment, striking a heroic pose. "She said 'We're meddling in metaphysics, this isn't a spelling test. It requires a balanced state of being.'" Frida balances on one foot, her arms and other leg outstretched. "So they're supportive and I get more free time to relax between lessons!"

"I'm really glad for you, Frida. I can't be your familiar if you're not a witch."

Frida bops Hilda lightly on the head with the stick, "Abracadabra! There, now it's official." All three laugh.

Hilda hops onto the empty swing. "Right now, I think we'd better finish getting ready for Mum's party tomorrow. Alfur?"

Alfur pulls out his notebook, "Yes, let's review our assignments…."

*****

Returning from a walk, Johanna unlocks the door to their flat. Hilda stands behind her, hands clasped together and smiling broadly in anticipation. As Johanna walks in and switches on the light, Frida, David, and all the party guests yell "SURPRISE!" and throw paper streamers and blow noisemakers.

Johanna jumps and drops her keys. Hilda grabs her hand, shouting, "Happy birthday Mum! Come in and see everyone.” 

Johanna dreamily walks into the main room, slowly taking in the balloons, streamers, large round cake with yellow frosting, table full of food, and lastly, the people, all wearing something in a shade of yellow: Matilda and Peter in yellow cardigans, Frida's mum with a pale lemon scarf and her dad in a yellow button down shirt, David's parents in yellow-gold hats from their soccer team, Raven Leader in her uniform, Tom the baker with yellow plaid pants, Nils from the hardware store in a neon yellow safety vest, Bahija and her mum in matching yellow hijabs, Frida and David in dark yellow shirts, Alfur, with a buttercup pinned on his red tunic, perched in a safe spot among a large vase of cheerful yellow mountain avens next to a small stack of gifts, Tontu peeking out and waving from the crack next to the fridge wearing the brown and yellow jumper Johanna knitted for Hilda, and even her childhood friend Arnur in a yellow shirt. 

Johanna's eyes come back to rest on Hilda and she sweeps her up into a big hug. Johanna whispers into Hilda's ear, "Thank you for the party." 

She stands and says, "Thank you all so much for coming to what I thought was going to be a small family gathering." She chuckles nervously, then seeing happy, encouraging faces all around her, "I had no idea I'd met so many wonderful people since moving back to Trolberg. Thank you all for making us feel so welcome. Now how about some of that lovely cake?" 

David pushes play on an old radio/cassette deck and music and conversation fill the room as Johanna joins her guests and accepts a piece of cake from Tom.

Hilda, Frida, David, Bahija, Twig, and Tontu retreat under the dining room table, surfacing to grab slices of cake, which is striped yellow and brown inside. 

Hilda says to the group, "Thank you for helping me give my Mum the best birthday ever."

Bahija, who is tentatively petting Twig, jokes, "You didn't give us much of a choice." The others nod in agreement, mouths full. "But I'm glad you asked. My mum loves decorating."

*****

As the last few guests are helping to clean up the party debris, Hilda shuts the door after Frida and David. A moment later she hears a soft knock on the door, and is surprised to see Erla standing there, holding the yellow invitation envelope and the old photo of her and Johanna.

"May I speak to your mother, Hilda?" 

Hilda calls over her shoulder, "Mum, you have another guest."

Johanna appears at the door, looking a little tired. "Erla!" she gasps, her already drawn face turning whiter. "What are you doing here?"

"Hilda invited me. How are you?"

"Nice of you to wait for an invitation this time!"

Hilda's eyes widen at the harsh words from her Mum. She slowly retreats down the hall, but stops just around the corner to listen.

Erla replies softly to Johanna, "It's been almost twelve years, I was hoping we could leave the past in the past. I only went to your cabin that night because I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I was worried about you."

Johanna fires back, "Then why were you sneaking around in the dark?"

Erla's brown cheeks flush a deep rosy sienna. "I heard music! I didn't want to interrupt anything...romantic. I truly was just worried about you, Jojo. I barely heard from you and you were all alone out there in the wilderness." She reaches out as if to touch Johanna's sleeve, but changes her mind and turns the gesture into a dismissive wave. "And I got there so late that night because I had car trouble on those dirt roads. I'm lucky I made it home! A farmer towed me out of a rut!"

Johanna softens a bit. "I think I'm getting towed out of a rut myself." She glances towards Hilda, who gives her a tentative thumbs up. "Look, why don't you come in and we can talk."

The last few guests, who were watching the exchange with great interest, take that as their cue to leave, and rush out on cloud of thank yous and happy birthdays.

Johanna sits in the chair. Erla keeps her jacket on and sits on the sofa. They sit in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, then Erla holds out the photo to Johanna. "I wasn't planning to come, but your daughter left this in my mailbox and I started remembering all our good times together. You must be very proud of her."

Johanna remarks thoughtfully while looking at the photo, "I am. She has a real gift for helping others." Looking up at Erla, she smiles a little and inquires, "towed out by a farmer, you say?"

Erla chuckles. "Yes, and we've been together ever since." Her face and heart fall, realizing she is talking about finding love on a night when Johanna lost hers. 

Johanna doesn't seem angry though. "You know, I blamed you for my loss for years. But I finally realized no one can hold onto a water spirit for long, you're just lucky to have one while you can. And I'm so happy to have Hilda. I know where she gets her sense of adventure."

"Johanna, I'm glad you're doing alright, but I truly am sorry. I only meant to check on you, especially since the day before at lunch you'd seemed just impossibly happy even though you were SO sick to your stomach."

"Ugh, it turned out I couldn't keep down any fish at all while I was pregnant, not just the Salty Maiden’s sandwiches. I was truly happy, and I'll always remember that, but it was a long time ago. I'm sorry I blamed you and got so angry." 

"I forgave that years ago, and later learned not all Näcke are as...destructive and fearsome as I was taught. I just kept hoping you'd reach out, especially when I heard you had a blue-haired baby. It was a bit of a shock for her to turn up on my doorstep."

The two women smile. Johanna says, “Imagine seeing that bright blue hair on your newborn!" and chuckles. "Tell me about your farmer."

The two old friends start catching up and are soon chatting and laughing together, and will be long into the night.

Hilda smiles and tiptoes to her room. She lifts Alfur to his house and gets in bed, where Twig immediately cozies up next to her. Hilda takes the silver locket off over her head, then opens it and nestles it in the coiled chain on the windowsill, where she can see the photos and small, flat pebble gleaming softly in the moonlight as she smiles and drifts off to sleep.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> Thank you for reading my first ever complete fanfic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I already have several ideas for a sequel so if you would like more, please let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 
> 
> ~suettle


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